Dear Karamo, A single bookcase, even if it is crammed, does not actually merit an "oh my gosh, so many books".

I saw this and needed to share. I apologize for nothing.

המתבגר חולה בבית. עברתי ליד הסופר אז שאלתי אותו אם יש משהו שמתחשק לו. הוא אמר אין לו כל כך תאבון (שזה כלשעצמו סימן שהוא די חולה), ושהדבר היחיד שמתחשק לו לאכול זה ערגליות. צריך לקחת אותו למיון, לדעתכם?

Competition for the best essay focusing on early science, medicine, technology, and other forms of natural knowledge across the globe before 1800. #EarlyModern 🗃️

Ngl, I kind of inhaled this book a couple of weeks ago. It was fun. Recommended.

Scientists mimicking the Big Bang accidentally turn lead into gold

ספר לי שאתה לא גר ב"מקום מועד" בלי לספר לי ש...

נכון הקטע הזה שעומדים בתחנת אוטובוס והאפליקציה אומרת שעוד 3 דקות הוא מגיע, עוד 2 דקות, עוד דקה, ואז פתאום - בלי שהאוטובוס עבר - זה קופץ להיות "עוד 20 דקות"? אז התיאוריה החדשה שלי היא שהאוטובוסים הנעלמים הולכים למקום שאליו הולכות הגרביים מהמייבש.

The Thesaurus Linguae Latinae project (125-year-long complete Latin language dictionary effort) is advertising to hire a full-stack developer in Munich (Django/React): job-portal.lmu.de/jobposting/5...

There was literal LOLing.

הגענו למסקנה בזמן שלא היית שהילד הוא בור ללא תחתית. (שירו של אבא שנשאר שבוע בבית עם נער מתבגר)

For accessibility please include alt text in posts with images. There's even a setting that reminds you. So tired of the inaccessible posts especially with so much going on. Is there a hashtag to get this out there? And please stop using passive voice. #Accessibility #DisabilitySky

Delightful replies.

I am about two seconds away from being the kind of person who lectures teens at the airport about playing music on their phone in public. I can't decide if I want to embrace this persona or fight against it.

Met my family for dinner. They chose a fairly trendy restaurant. So trendy, in fact, that there was almost no light. Turns out someone was seated with a large black dog under their seat. I did not see the dog (see above re:light). I tripped on the dog and skinned my knee. (The dog was fine)

נוט טו סלף - אם צריכה לקום בחמש בבוקר לטיסה, ולפני שהלכתם לישון האיש אמר שבקושי היו לו מים למקלחת, אולי עדיף לעשות משהו עם זה שהשעון של הדוד ידליק אותו רק ב...ובכן... חמש בבוקר.

There are occasional moments in life where I find myself wanting an esoteric bit of highly specialized information for a totally random purpose, and then I remember that I actually know someone who is an expert in that exact subfield, and they invariably come through. I love experts.

Is there any kind of simple explainer about the whole Venezuela thing? Because I read the news quite regularly and I still don't understand wtf is happening and how we got to this point. Is it really is totally random and senseless as it seems?

My dad's a professor of mathematics (now emeritus). Years ago, one of the major news outlets here asked some profs to do a test based on our SAT-equivalent, presumbly hoping to prove they wouldn't be able to pass and make some point. Somehow my dad agreed to participate in this exercise. (1/2)

I suppose "grin" is the only appropriate response. (Is anything else ever wolfish?)

Kid said he wants to stay up til midnight tonight, and I asked "why?" Clearly I am very on top of the calendar and know exactly which day it is.

I seem to recall there being research that showed that on average, a 1950s stay-at-home mom spent less time actively with her kids than the average "working mom" today. A quick found a few popular online articles, but if anyone has easy access to academic research on this, would love to see it. 🗃️

TIL that in the scene in The Princess Bride where the Count knocks Westley out with his sword, Christopher Guest accidentally hit Cary Elwes too hard and he actually fainted, and this is the literal take that made it into the movie. (Also, ty to whoever it was here that recommend "As You Wish")

Bought coffee at a NYC coffee shop where Danny Strong was sitting working on his laptop. (That's if we discount last Sunday, when we had dinner at a restaurant here and - my son informs me - the two guys sitting behind us were stars of our city basketball team).

Since we had a two week trip together, I spent more full days with my 13 y/o this month than I had in a while, and I have to tell you that nothing quite prepared me for how HUNGRY teenagers are. I mean, he has been growing at a terrifying rate, so it all makes sense, but... So. Much. Food.

Weirdly also an English professor.

9th grade, they made us watch a film made from the footage shot by the allies when they liberated the camps in WWII. I literally spent the entire night after that physically ill and shivering, and have not been able to watch even the mildest Holocaust film ever since.

Latin feed: For a family event, we want to create a humorous family motto. A familiar phrase in our family is "The [family name]s do not stop when going uphill". How would you translate that into Latin? Google translate suggests: "[Family name] non sistunt cum ascendunt." Does that work?

Granted, it has something to do with the specific dietary needs of our family, but the biggest conclusion from just spending about a week in each is that it is infinitely easier to find delicious food in London than in Paris.

I don't have any really crazy ones, but a few memorable ones. #1 Getting my first reader card for the BL, to begin dissertation research, the system accidentally printed the title "Dr." on my card. I alerted a staff member, and he said "well, it's going to be true in a few years. Let's leave it." 😍

PSA: when you are abroad, and you are trying to schedule a future meeting at home, remember to take into account that your entire calendar is showing in the local time wherever you are. (Brought to you by the comedy of errors of trying to schedule a parent-teacher meeting in the wrong time zone)

Stunning! My birthday is Dec. 21, and it is one of my life goals to one day celebrate it in Newgrange (if I ever win the lottery draw).

I have a weird question for the #bird people on here. Do you think someone could tell that a book was pooped on specifically by a sparrowhawk (or perhaps hawks generally) just from the feces? I'm looking at a 16th c. case where witnesses claim books were pooped on specifically by sparrowhawks!

During my PhD research year I spent about six months in London, and I saw about 40 different plays/shows (not counting the embarrasingly high number of times I went to see Les Mis). Now I'm in London for a week, and seeing all of the ads for things I want to see, I could easily do it again.

There is no film I love more than The Princess Bride. I first realized I was falling in love with my (now) husband when he did a hilarious impression of the falling-down-the-hill scene, and I realized we got each other. Between Brown, Australia, and now this, my heart is so heavy.

And now Rob Reiner! The hits just keep coming.

And now Australia. Oof.

Oh no. Wishing everyone safe.

כשהילד שלכם מאזין אדוק מדי של @doronfishler.bsky.social ולכן הוא גורר אתכם את כל בית הקברות של מונמרטר רק כדי לאתר את הקבר הזה.

Actual hard mode: TV series you've seen more than twice in entirety from start to finish.

"All can be measured by the standard of the capybara. Everyone is lesser than or greater than the capybara." www.poetryfoundation.org/poetrymagazi...

First results from the new sewing machine: a baby quilt for my new nephew.

Despite my best efforts, "Teen has destroyed my listening stats by taking control of my Spotify during drives" strikes again.

Wykeham Professorship of Logic: Faculty of Philosophy in association with New College, Oxford. The Faculty of Philosophy is seeking applications for the Wykeham Professorship of Logic, available from 1 October 2026. my.corehr.com/pls/uoxrecru...

Great culture can save lives. Literally. Amazing letter in today’s @thetimes.com about Tom Stoppard

I enjoy a "your year in review" as much as the next person, but I honestly don't think I need one from my grocery list app.

Yesterday, Netanyahu wrote to Israel's President, asking to be "pardoned" for his corruption charges. There is no verdict yet, and he didn't admit guilt, express remorse, or agree to any sanction. The editorial in today's Haaretz has a one word headline. It reads "No".

Went clothes shopping with my husband today. The salesperson asked me if he's my son or my little brother. He is, for the record, 6 years older than me. This isn't the first time this has happened, but it gets funnier as he nears 50, and given that after every haircut his hair gets grayer.

My son, then 7, decided he wanted to found a fictional country. We wrote a declaration of independence, built a parliament building out of cardboard, and then all of his stuffed animals voted in the elections for the country. (1/2)

Sad to read this. One of my first memories of really falling in love with a play was seeing Arcadia with my parents in London when I was 12.